Composting

Composting is a natural process that involves the decomposition (breaking down) of organic matter (garden and food waste). The compost process is driven by millions of micro-organisms (‘good’ bacteria) that break organic matter down into nutrient form. These nutrients can then be returned to the soil, which helps to improve plant growth, water retention, and the natural capacity of plants to resist disease.

Composting suits if you:

• have garden materials (you need twice as much as your food scraps),
• have space on bare earth to put the compost bin, and
• are in a household with more than two people.

The benefits are you can:

• add a greater variety of food and other materials than in a worm farm including garlic, onion and citrus,
• recycle your garden materials, and
• add larger volumes of materials.

Not sure if composting is for you? Visit worm farming.

Further reading

• Easy Steps to Home Composting
• Easy Composting Guide
• Common Composting Problems and Solutions